British Championship Rallycross - Northern Ireland

[Stevie A]

Only a week to go to the start of the British Championship at Kirkistown and Nutts Corner. Anybody got any predictions for the season ahead???

With all the rumours still around at the moment about who will (or wont) be competing this year it's a bit difficult to call but i'll have a go.

Supercar:

Doran and Carnegie will be the top 2 again as i think no turbo restrictor +100kg is the way to go. I think the surprise package will be Lawrence Gibson (if he does the whole championship) because the new weight rules will play into his hands.

Modified:

Battle between Bellerby and Wheatley for overall honours. Gordon Rogers will win the Lydden rounds and probably finish 3rd. My darkhorse would be Mike Turpin.......if i thought he'd do all the rounds, i'd tip him to take the title.

Stock Hatch:

Adrian Horsley will take some beating but Julian Godfrey and Chris Cake are always super consistant. My driver to watch would be Rodney Green.......definately the most improved driver last year and looked pretty swift in the winter series.

Is anybody taking the trip over the Irish Sea next weekend??? My flights, hotel and car hire are booked........never been there before but thought i'd make the effort this year.....i haven't seen an entry list yet but i just hope its worth it!! If all else fails, a couple of nights on the raz in Belfast will have to do!!!

[BertMk2]

I'm really looking forward to the new season, there's still plenty of uncertainty about the number of participants and even the locations of some of the rounds but it'll be a great year whatever.

My predictions for the year are:

Supercar: Carnegie or Gollop, both were consistently quick last year but it'll be interesting to see the effect the restrictor has on Gollop. I don't think Doran will win as the car is just too unreliable.

Modified: Wide open this year, there will probably be a whole load of different race winners. Bellerby, Wheatley, Rogers, Turpin, Dresser, Binks, Collard, Howlin all look capable of winning rounds, Tapscott will be quick as well as should Muir. I'd probably have to go for Bellerby to take the title though (or possisbly Rogers). Turpin is very quick but doesn't do all the rounds.

Stock Hatch: Horsley seems to be the quickest man out there but if he doesn't do every round Godfrey or Cake look good. As you say Stevie Rodney Green has been really impressive over the winter and could mount a challenge.

I'm not making the trip to Ireland (I'll be at Lydden for the test day there for one thing ) but it should be a great weekend. I'm really looking forward to the season, I can't wait for the Lydden round on the 12th of April

[Barrie]

Shockly low entry for the first 2 rounds. Heard this is because of stupidly high entry fee's, what a balls up.

[EvilPumpkin]

Really looking forward to next weekend - myself and Grant will be there for the full 2 days, so anyone that's coming over, do keep an eye out for us - we'll be the ones in orange!

[Upside Down Bug]

Hi EP

I'll be looking out for you and Grant. Looking forward to a good couple of events. A lot of hard work has gone into getting the events together.

The entry list that has been published is very provisional. There are a number of other competitors to be added, including some traveling from Europe. I understand that there is even a super national Volvo making the trip. I probably won't have the final list in my hands until Tues or Weds, but I'll post an update then.

I have to say, I'm very optamistic about the 2004 Rallycross season in general. The BTRDA series is getting some good numbers, and if you add the entry list at Blyton tomorrow to the entry list for Ulster, you'll find that there is more entries than for a single event in 2003 when the champs ran at combined events.

I agree with the view that people are saying over who will win the championships. I think its very wide open in all classes this year.

Although feeling stressed, I'm realy looking forward to next weekend. Sorry I couldn't make it to Blyton though.

UDB

[Cryos]

Barrie wrote:"Shockly low entry for the first 2 rounds. Heard this is because of stupidly high entry fee's, what a balls up."

Alot of irish drivers intended to go but the entry fees are just crazy for us no consessions were made dispite the amount of drivers that had enquired we would of ended up paying something like 300 euros per round for modified.

Expect an Shockingly low entry for Mondello Aswell, Irish drivers got the shove on this two, however i recon some consession will be made for those rounds (as nearly 90% of the irish field are interested in doing the round, some 60/70 drivers "all modified and supercar drivers")

Hmm Northern Weekend Predictions

Supercar: Carnegie or Mc Cluskey, Mc Cluskey's car seems to have been developed alot over the few irish rounds that have passed and its definatly on the pace of carnegies.

other classes are wide open

[Stevie A]

I was surprised at the lack of local entries because usually the Irish boys support the championship really well.

Now i know why they're not there!!!

Why the crazy prices??? Surely it can't be as expensive as somewhere like Brands Hatch and that was well supported last year.

[winnie]

BertMk2, when is the test day at Lydden?

[BertMk2]

Test day at Lydden is Saturday 27th of March - it's an open test day on the tarmac. I'll be there as I loiter with some of the SEMSEC drivers that are testing. Last year there was a whole mix of cars from various classes and series - everything from open wheelers to saloons, rally cars and the odd rallycrosser.

[Matti Alamaki]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Stevie A
[B]I was surprised at the lack of local entries because usually the Irish boys support the championship really well.

Now i know why they're not there!!!

The main reason is that the BRDA couldn't allow the Irish championship run at the same event as the British championship? This was possible last year which meant there was lots of support from the Irish in Nutts Corner, Mondello and Anglesey last year. The British championship won't have this support this year.

Clearly it needs it in Northern Ireland and it will be the same in Mondello. Why did they do this?

[MagnetON]

Originally posted by Upside Down Bug
I'll be looking out for you and Grant.

Well I'm not hard to miss and I'll also be sporting my new rallycross baseball cap!

[Cryos]

matti wrote The main reason is that the BRDA couldn't allow the Irish championship run at the same event as the British championship? This was possible last year which meant there was lots of support from the Irish in Nutts Corner, Mondello and Anglesey last year. The British championship won't have this support this year.

Clearly it needs it in Northern Ireland and it will be the same in Mondello. Why did they do this?"

Ive heard many reasons why this is so, but the most resonable reason for this that i have heard is that irish drivers didnt display enough interest when asked (apparently we were asked, i know i wasent and ive asked a few other drivers and they wernt asked either)

Steve A Wrote: Why the crazy prices??? Surely it can't be as expensive as somewhere like Brands Hatch and that was well supported last year.

The Prices are not crazy for you who use the GB Pound, but for us who use euro which is trading at 1 EUR = 0.667943 GBP it works out alot dearer for us because we for some bizzar reason have to pay in GBP according to tim W these are the prices for the Classes :

Supercar £250 = €374.28
Modified £200 = €299.42
Stock Hatch, Minicross and Junior £150 = €224.55

These are the prices for mondello, now to put it into perspective. In the irish rallycross championship you pay 160 euro before the closing date regardless of the class, if you are late with your entry its 180 euro. so you can see my argument when it comes to prices that we are charged.

Sure if you think that the gb prices is ok you should talk to michael morris, michael coyne and anyone in the modified class because im sure theyd give you a piece of their mind.

[Cryos]

Btw

The other stupid thing is CKMC (County Kildare Motor Club) are running the event and not the BRDA so it adds insult to injury

[Matti Alamaki]

Entry list has been updated and it looks very strong in Modified. There's even a few Scandanavians and Germans!
Where have all the Supercar drivers gone?
Mundy
Grant
Manning
Holfeld - car for sale

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by rxie
Btw

The other stupid thing is CKMC (County Kildare Motor Club) are running the event and not the BRDA so it adds insult to injury

Well this seemed a bit strange to me as it's unusual for ROI clubs to be running NI events - MSA licencing etc. so I decided to take the radical step of contacting a representative of CKMC rather than just listening to whatever the current rumour is.

When I contacted a representative of the CKMC to confirm, he informed me that the BRDA are the organisers of the event. Some CKMC officials will probably be there over the weekend to assist (as is usually the case for any kind of circuit racing in the North) but they are not running the event.

Any queries, I suggest you contact Graham or Robert.

[Matti Alamaki]

I think RXIE was talking about CKMC running the Mondello rounds of the British championship rather that the rounds up North this weekend...

[EvilPumpkin]

Ah I see - thanks for clarifying that Matti.

[BertMk2]

Originally posted by Matti Alamaki
Entry list has been updated and it looks very strong in Modified. There's even a few Scandanavians and Germans!
Where have all the Supercar drivers gone?
Mundy
Grant
Manning
Holfeld - car for sale

The 'missing' supercars:

Holfeld - car for sale (as you say)
Briggs - Audi and 6R4 sold, new car under construction
McCann - New engine not ready??????
Mundy - ?????
Cross - car is for sale but will be used until it is sold (so not sure why he's not entered)
Grant - Often misses the Irish rounds?
Manning - ????? Probably engine related!

Can't think of anyone else (although I'm more tha likely to have forgottn someone).

It's a very low entry for the supercars, I hope there are more out for the later rounds.

[Cryos]

Sorry for not clarifying Mondello EP,

And just for your information we are in full contact with Dave Alyward and Robert Mooney (of CKMC and Rallycross Comittie respectivly) and Declan Grogan of CCMC (County Carlow Motor Club)

[Matti Alamaki]

It's a shame Manning isn't entered. He would cause a few upsets!

Mundy, Grant & Cross all did the Irish rounds last year. So I don't understand what's going on here but, it doesn't bode well if drivers aren't commiting to a full campaign.


As for McCann, I don't understand why his car was on the BRDA stand at Autosport International representing a Supercar in the British championship when it's not even doing a full campaign!!!

[winnie]

I understand that £50 of the entry fee goes to BRDA as registration to the British Championship with the MSA. If this is the case why not withdraw the British Championship status.

I also understand that some BRDA officials are being paid for their services, which might explain the high entry fee. I don't object to this (if it's true) providing that the BRDA are benifiting with say a championship sponsor being found, decent TV coverage, well organised meetings, new tracks, more cars, return of European Championship etc. So far all thats been achieved recently is a return to Brands.

I just hope that the entry's improve with the english rounds.

[BertMk2]

Originally posted by Matti Alamaki
As for McCann, I don't understand why his car was on the BRDA stand at Autosport International representing a Supercar in the British championship when it's not even doing a full campaign!!!

Don't forget that the top cars were all in action in the live arena (Doran, Gollop, Carnegie and McCluskey). Anyway, it was good to see so many rallycross cars there (not just on the BRDA stand). I guess McCanns car was used as it was available and a new(ish) car to the series.

[Matti Alamaki]

Gibsons Metro 6R4 would have been a nice weapon to have on the stand or even Mannings Escort. I wonder why Manning isn't entered for Ireland? I thought he would of had a good stab at the British Championship this year.

Horsley won't win the stock hatch championship if he has his WRC Fiesta supercar ready mid season!

[BertMk2]

Originally posted by Matti Alamaki
Horsley won't win the stock hatch championship if he has his WRC Fiesta supercar ready mid season!

Is that car confirmed? There has been talk of Horsley going into supercar for a couple of years but nothing has happened so far. It'll be great if he does make the step up though - the more supercars the better

[EvilPumpkin]

So aside from all the speculation, complaints and commentary, is anyone actually going to this and is anyone looking forward to it? Or is that just me?